1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an image reading apparatus which can be suitably used as an image scanner and can be used also to read an image in an apparatus, such as a facsimile apparatus, and more particularly to a paper supply apparatus for an image reading apparatus and an image reading apparatus with a paper supply apparatus which are improved in terms of paper supply.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, image reading apparatus, such as image scanners, have been and are being developed in order to input image information to a computer, or like apparatus. Image reading apparatus of the type mentioned include a paper supply apparatus of the type mentioned include a paper supply apparatus which takes out and supplies paper sheets accommodated in position, for example, in a hopper one by one to an image reading mechanism.
Such conventional image reading apparatus, however, have a problem to be solved in that the reading speed is not sufficiently high and the capacity for information (quantity of paper sheets) which can be read at a time is not sufficiently high. In order to solve the problem, not only is it important to improve the performance of an image reading mechanism, itself, which is a principal portion of an image reading apparatus, but also it is also important to develop a mechanism which can accommodate a large amount of paper sheets to be read in position and can also transport the paper sheets accommodated in position in this manner with certainty.
In particular, a large number of paper sheets accommodated in position in a hopper and making an object for reading are taken out one-by-one with certainty and supplied to a paper transport mechanism of an image reading mechanism so that an image of a paper sheet is read by the image reading mechanism while the paper sheet is being transported by the paper transport mechanism. Such paper supplying operation must be performed rapidly and with certainty.
Particularly, if a paper sheet is not taken out with certainty by the paper supply apparatus, it is a matter of course that a subsequent transportation of the paper and reading of an image from the paper cannot be performed.